Concluding Thoughts

            Life is a gradual process of personal development, and rites of passage help mark various life stages.  On the surface, some rituals may appear as unusual processes—merely trials of pain and torture, particularly in tribal cultures.  But in reality, all rites contain purposes, as they help to establish the norms, values, and expectations of the particular society.  The more I think about it, passage rituals come by more than we might expect.  Sure, marriage, manhood, and turning 21 may serve as universal life-markers, but everyday, we are shaped by various “first” experiences.  Perhaps we fail our first test, go on a first date, or dress up for our first job interview.  These moments reflect trial, error, and moments for personal reflection, but are not outright defined as passage rites.  However, they serve important purposes for personal development.  For me, joining a fraternity at Gettysburg represents somewhat of a passage ritual.  It may not be considered a general practice by society, as one mustn’t join a fraternity and many are against Greek life.  But for me, the experience helped motivate my involvement on campus, and let me come more out of my shell as a person.  My ‘elders’ monitoring my personal growth were the brothers of the fraternity, and in its own unique way, I felt the process resembled something like a rite of passage for myself.

            It was particularly interesting for me to look into the histories of passage rites, with special attention to manhood.  With increasing globalization, I feel the future studies of these practices will prove even more fascinating.  We have read in the Gebusi how some cultural components may be lost with increasing development—as Gebusi left the forest and moved by the Nomad Station, they shunned the existence of sorcery and often converted to members of a new faith.  And given the severity of many passage rites that involve genital cutting or other personal harm, globalization has created social movements to intervene amidst the processes.  But with this said, as seen in the Taboo video with the Xhosa people of South Africa, development didn’t necessarily affect rite of passage rituals.  Despite access to the modern world, Tando still faced the enduring task of unanesthetized circumcision, followed by a month of isolation in a small hut.  On a case-by-case basis, looking into rite of passage rituals and how they may or may have not changed will directly reflect the magnitude of cultural change.  It is worth noting that the divorce rate in America is roughly 50% (Foster 1987).  How will this affect the future importance of marriage in America, if there is an increasing likelihood of fallout?  And as outlined by a previous blog, how will the gay rights movement influence the perception of the American man and others worldwide?  In all, the study of passage rituals helps define what is most important and cherishing in our cultural lives.

Bibliography

            Foster, Steven.  1987.  “Passage into Manhood: A modern ritual for young men.”  Gender 16 (Spring).  50.  http://www.context.org/iclib/ic16/foster/